


Merry Christmas, Donnatella

by theycallmethejackal



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 15:06:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6013249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theycallmethejackal/pseuds/theycallmethejackal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh and Donna say goodnight after their trip to the ER. Set just after the events of 2x10 Noël.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merry Christmas, Donnatella

“Josh?” Her voice is gentle as she says his name from the driver’s seat. “We’re here.”

 

Josh turns his head to look out the passenger side window to see his stoop. “Yeah,” he breathes, the echoing of sirens and “Carol of the Bells” still in his head.

 

Donna’s hand finds his forearm, where it rests gently. “Are you okay?” She asks quietly, not wanting to startle him. In the ER, he told her that music had set him off, but she doesn’t know what else could trigger him, so she’s careful when she touches him.

 

He doesn’t answer her question. He just turns back a little so that he’s facing forward. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Donna looks at him, seemingly confused. “You told Leo you were worried about me, but you didn’t say anything to me…why?” He manages to turn his head to face her, and she has this look on her face that he can’t quite read. She doesn’t answer. Instead, she just averts her gaze, tilting her head down. “Donna –– “

 

“If it had come from me, you would have brushed it off like it was nothing.” Josh’s jaw slackens in surprise. “It had to come from Leo or you wouldn’t have done anything about it. You would have thought I was just on another pointless obsession like the stamp thing or Carpal Tunnel…” Her throat feels tight now, but she really doesn’t want to cry right now. This is just her own lack of self worth. She shouldn’t be piling that on top of everything he’s dealing with right now.

 

As she trails off, he realizes what she’s really saying. “You think your opinion doesn’t matter to me,” Josh deduces quietly. “God, Donna, you could not be more wrong,” he promises, reaching for her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. When she looks up at him again, he sees the tears pooling in her eyes, and he hates that he caused them.

 

With his bandaged hand, he reaches for her, brushing a stray tear from her cheekbone. “You’re an extraordinary woman, Donnatella Moss,” he breathes, the backs of his fingers brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

 

Her eyes meet his, and she blinks back more tears. How does he manage to do that? One minute she’s upset because he makes her feel worthless, and the next her tears are due to his being so sweet…

 

And then his lips are on hers. It’s a soft kiss, slow and tender as his hand gently cups her cheek, and Donna finds herself fighting to stop herself from climbing across the seats to be closer to him. Instead, her free hand comes to his neck, her thumb running over his jawline.

 

It’s over too soon for either of their liking, but it’s still perfect. He smiles at her softly, pleased when she returns the grin. “Merry Christmas, Donnatella.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Joshua.”

 


End file.
